An Indiana man was arrested after he was caught with a loaded gun in the side pocket of his carry-on bag by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Lynchburg Regional Airport yesterday afternoon (April 17). The TSA officer who was staffing the checkpoint X-ray machine spotted the handgun in the man’s carry-on as it passed along the conveyor belt. The man is a resident of Bedford, IN. The man placed his carry-on bag on the checkpoint conveyor belt to pass through the checkpoint, and that’s where the TSA officer spotted the .38 caliber handgun, which was loaded with five rounds.

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TSA contacted the Lynchburg Police who responded, confiscated the loaded handgun and arrested the Lawrence County, IN, resident on a state weapons charge. He was originally ticketed to fly to Indianapolis through Charlotte. About 235 people per day fly out of Lynchburg Regional Airport .As a reminder, weapons—including firearms, firearm parts and ammunition—are not permitted in carry-on bags, but can be transported in checked bags if they are unloaded, properly packed and declared to the airline. Passengers who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement and civil penalties from TSA up to $11,000.

Passengers are responsible for the contents of bags they bring to the security checkpoint, and TSA’s advice to passengers is to look through bags thoroughly before coming to the airport to make sure there are no illegal or prohibited items. Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-side case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure.

TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its web site here: http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/firearms-and-ammunition. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition. Travelers should also contact the airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screens approximately 1.8 million passengers and their luggage every day for prohibited items, including weapons and explosives. To do this, TSA uses imaging technology to safely screen passengers for any items which may be concealed under clothing, while X-ray units screen all carry-on baggage.